Impossible To Deny
by DelenaDJ
Summary: PART OF MY CANON COLLECTION. Their connection is impossible to deny and a road trip to Vancouver and a visit with the illustrious vampire, Emma Cohen, may just be the key to changing everything.
1. Never Let Me Go

Elena grimaced as the sardine can they called a plane bounced in the air. She'd been on this contraption for eight hours and she couldn't wait to get off. Spending one hour on a plane with Damon would grate on any one's self-control, let alone eight hours. Their whole trip had been decided when Elena and her friends had discovered that if an Original was killed, all the vampires in their sire line would be destroyed. With that little fact in mind, a brilliant idea had come to Damon.

"Stefan, I have to go talk to her."

"No! She's crazy."

"She's not crazy. She just doesn't like you. She loves me."

"I'm telling you. It's a bad idea. If she finds out you're coming to her to just get information and not to see her, she's going to be pissed."

"I'm sorry. I'm confused. Who are we talking about?" Elena interrupted.

"Emma Cohen," Damon smirked. "She's a vampire I know up in Vancouver."

"Old as dirt and super creepy," Stefan added.

"She's not creepy."

"She stalked me!"

"Only because she knew it'd freak you out. She does know how to play some good pranks."

"And why do you have to see this woman?" Elena asked.

"Emma knows everything about everything. She's like vampire royalty," Damon replied. "Not even the Originals would risk pissing her off. She'd know about the sire lines and she might even help us take down Klaus."

After they reached a tentative agreement, Elena had gone to tell Alaric where she was going.

"Stefan is gonna watch over you for a little while. Now that Klaus knows where Jeremy is, it's not safe so, he's flying home from Denver. Damon and I are going to go to Vancouver to talk to some really old vampire about their sire line."

"Why do you say that like you're waiting for me to disapprove?" Alaric asked.

"I don't know. Me and Damon. Traveling across the country."

"I guess I'm more curious to hear what Stefan has to say about it."

"Actually, it was his idea. He insisted I go. He thinks that I have some unresolved feelings for Damon."

"Do you?"

"I don't know. I guess that's why I'm going on this trip. So I can figure it out."

Another bout of turbulence shook Elena out of her memories and the pilot announced they were preparing to land. A few minutes later, they left the plane with their luggage.

"There she is," said Damon after they passed airport security and reached the main lobby. Elena was shocked by the woman's beauty. Soft auburn curls were tied into a messy bun and a red leather trench coat complemented the burgundy blouse and white and black Aztec print skirt the woman was wearing. "Em!"

"Damon!" She ran to the man and hugged him. "I've missed you."

"Me too. It's good to see you again."

"And you must be Elena. You're just as beautiful as Damon told me. I'm Emma." The two women shook her hands.

"Damon told you about me?"

"Why of course, dear. He calls me about you all the time when you're what did you call it, Damon, 'annoying the hell out of him.'"

"Emma," Damon growled.

"Whoops. Did I say that out loud? Sorry."

"No, you're not. God, you're like the sister I never wanted," Damon pouted. Emma shrugged and turned toward the exit.

"Come along, darlings. We have much to do. After all, you're here to see if I know what sire line you're from."

"How do you do that!" Damon yelled.

"Oh, I have all kinds of tricks up my sleeve. Let's go see what dead vampire started Rose's line."

"Dead vampire is redundant," Damon argued. The two vampires bickered the whole way to Emma's house which Elena thoroughly enjoyed. They were just like siblings.

"You live pretty far out of the city," Elena noted as they pulled up to Emma's house in the mountains of Vancouver.

"After fifty years of living in New York, it was time for a change of pace. I enjoy the seclusion."

"Fifty years. Wow. And no one noticed you were a vampire?"

"In the cities, the unchanging fact of our existence can be…postponed. I never understood why Stefan wanted to live in the small towns. You just have to move that much quicker. Anyway, in my line of work this house fits me well," Emma replied as she unlocked the door and they entered the 10,000 square foot mansion hidden in the forest.

"In your line of work?"

"Damon hasn't told you anything about me, has he? I'm the official record keeper of the vampire race as duly appointed by Elijah Mikaelson. Anything you want to know about vampires or the supernatural I have access to." Emma's words were further validated when they entered the mansion's library which easily rivaled the Salvatore's. "Now, let's see. The Salvatores were sired by Katerina and Katerina was sired by my dear friend, Rose, but I can't remember who sired Rose." Emma rifled through the shelves. "Oh, I forgot to thank you, Damon."

"For what?" he asked.

"For what you did for Rose. She sent a message through a witch to me. She spent her last day in paradise. Soaking in the sun and reminiscing about what it meant to be human. And when death came, she didn't fear it."

"I was with her on her last day and she definitely wasn't in paradise," said Elena.

"It was in the dream Damon gave her."

"Is she lonely on the other side?"

"No. She enjoys it. She was running so much when she was alive. Now she has the freedom to do whatever she wants. She doesn't want anyone to worry about her. She's happy." Emma didn't mention that Rose had also told her about the recent developments in Damon and Elena's relationship…or lack thereof. "Ah. Here we go." Emma pulled a thick book off the shelf and rifled through its pages. "Oh my."

"What?" Damon asked. "Please tell me our sire isn't Klaus."

"Um, it's a bit more complicated than that," Emma grimaced. "I'm going to need a drink." Emma walked to her refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of opened wine.

"Come on, Emma. Spill."

"Let's have dinner and I'll explain everything." The three then walked into the dining room where food was set out onto the table along with some blood bags. "Um, no Original sired Rose. It was Mary Porter."

"Ugh. Scary Mary. Well, where is she?"

"Dead last time I checked."

"Great. Well, who sired her?"

"Me."

"Oh, that is bad," Damon grimaced.

"I'm confused," said Elena.

"Emma's siring was a little strange."

"I was born about the same time as the Originals."

"So Damon and Stefan are from your sire line?"

"Not exactly. Though my power is great, I am not an Original granted that doesn't mean I couldn't kick their ass if I was so inclined. The Mikaelsons wanted to perform a little experiment. I was given the blood of all the Mikaelson siblings and then my neck was snapped."

"So that means…" Elena realized.

"Technically, all the Originals sired you and Stefan, Damon."

"Great. Just wonderful," Damon growled.

"I take it you had a plan to kill Klaus?"

"No, I'm just this mad for kicks!"

"There's no need to be rude. I believe your mother did teach you manners. Let me guess. You need Klaus out of the picture because he wants to use Elena's doppelganger blood to fuel his new master race?"

"How do you do that and I want specifics this time!"

"When I was turned with all the Originals' blood, it produced unexpected side effects. I was the most powerful witch of my time when I was human and because of the purity of all the Originals' blood, I retained my abilities with a few extra upgrades. Due to that fact, the Mikaelsons have agreed to no longer sire any person with a combination of their blood. You see, I no longer have to abide by the rules of nature and I'm immortal so I can't pass out from overuse of my magic. I'm pretty unstoppable which is why the Originals are scared shitless of me. It's why they relegated me to librarian duty. It is a rather thankless, mind-numbing task. Now as to your question about how do I know about Klaus and his machinations, well, I know it through the blood. If I develop an interest into the whereabouts or doings of a certain vampire, I can tap into their sire line and then directly into the vampire's mind itself. It's a little trick Kol taught me in bed."

"Ugh. You and Kol? Seriously?" Damon grimaced. "Sage was bad enough."

"Ah, Sage. Such a lovely girl, but blinded by love."

"Yeah, sorry about that. She's dead. I know you two were friends."

"Oh, we had a falling out in the 40s. I'm glad that bitch is dead. She had a nasty right hook. But that's beside the point. The way I see it you don't need an Original dead. You just need him out of your lives."

"What are you proposing?"

"I'll take down Klaus."

"You do that and you'll face the wrath of his siblings." Emma smiled and walked to the fireplace mantel where a black box was sitting.

"That's why I have these." She opened the box, revealing silver daggers with a stripe of red that ran down the middle of the blade. "I forged these myself with my own blood. They're an improved version of the white oak daggers. For one, they can be used by vampires without any threat of death looming over our heads and second, they render the Original and in Klaus' case, hybrid, into an eternal sleep without the use of white oak ashes. Even if the dagger is removed, they'll never wake up. I can also help your drinking buddy, Alaric."

"What?" Elena asked, shocked.

"Esther messed with his psyche, right? I can put him back together. All he needs is a spirit cleansing."

"Why do you want to help us?" Elena asked. "What do you get out of it?"

"Maybe I'm just doing it out of the goodness of my heart." Damon scoffed. "Okay, you're right. I do have an ulterior motive. Several actually. I don't want a bunch of vampire-werewolf freaks running around the world. The second reason is more…personal. The Originals, every step of the way, have ruined my life. I want them gone. You have a brother so you should understand this, both of you. I haven't had a family for a very long time. I found Damon struggling with his nature and I helped him. And even though distance has separated us for a time, we've always been close. The Salvatores are my family and I don't like people that mess with my family. Excuse me."

Later that evening, Damon was drinking in the living room while Elena looked out at the view of Emma's house from the back porch. A beautiful waterfall splashed down into a lake in the far distance. Emma soon joined her with a glass of wine.

"Enjoying yourself?" Emma asked.

"It's beautiful up here."

"Yes, it is."

"Quiet."

"Hmm. The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can enjoy the quiet, alone with the heavens, nature…because only then does one feel that all is as it should be." Elena quirked a brow at Emma's formal tone. "Anne Frank. I'm an avid reader." Elena chuckled.

"I like you."

"I like you too. You probably don't want to hear it, but you're exactly what Damon needs." Elena then grew uncomfortable. "Listen, I didn't come out here to give you a lecture or tell you what side you should be on."

"You know?"

"I know everything about everything. It's my catch phrase. Take this as you will, but I've been in a few love triangles so I have a pretty good idea about what you're going through. Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning, a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable. It doesn't begin and end the way we seem to think it does. It's a battle, a war. It causes us to grow up. It's a force more formidable than any other. It's invisible, it can't be seen or measured, yet it's powerful enough to transform you in a moment and offer you more joy than any material possession could."

"I take it you've been in love."

"Once or twice. I lost my soul mate a long time ago so it hurts whenever I see others in love suffering. I feel their own suffering like it is my own, but enough about me. This is about you. It's not that you make him a better person. You do, but that's not a reason to be with somebody. He changes you too. He challenges you, surprises you, makes you question your life, beliefs. Stefan is different. His love is pure. He'll always be good for you. He'll always be safe. But…love isn't meant to be safe. It's meant to be passionate and all consuming. Damon is either the best thing for you or the worst. You just have to ask yourself if you're willing to make the jump. Also, there's a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. Well, enough of my philosophical ramblings. I think I'll turn in for the night." She walked toward the door.

"Emma?"

"Yes."

"Which one broke your heart? Which Mikaelson?" Emma closed her eyes. "Tell me."

"For a human, you're perceptive. I was in a love triangle much like you. There was Kol and my true love…Dominic. Dominic, he was just like Damon. I think that's why I've always been so fond of him. He's like a walking, talking reminder of my husband."

"Isn't that painful?"

"For a time, but now, I'm just thankful that I have someone like him in my life for however long that may be. Kol was the safe man."

"You're kidding right?"

"He has a temper, I admit, but he was sweet and caring…doting even, but Dominic…hmm, that man knew how to light me up like a Christmas tree. Everyday was a battle, it was never easy, but life isn't supposed to be easy, neither is love. We loved each other for over five hundred years and then Kol ripped my heart out. He took my Dominic from me. He broke my heart and it's never fully healed. After that Klaus daggered him and I was never able to get my revenge. That will all change tomorrow. Good night, Elena."

A few moments later, Damon joined Elena on the back porch as it began to rain.

"You didn't tell me you guys were so close," said Elena.

"Didn't think you'd care."

"I'm sorry about what I said at the ball. I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did. Quit apologizing. I know your friends want you to be this picture perfect Elena, but it's okay to say what you mean. It's okay to be mad or sad or whatever."

"You never told me about that, what you did for Rose."

"It wasn't about you."

"Why don't you let people see the good in you?"

"Because when people see good, they expect good. And I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations." Elena heard the implication in his tone. She shouldn't either. She should go for what she wants. Damon ran a finger down her cheek and Elena began to breathe heavily, unsure of what she was feeling. Was this what true love felt like? What she felt for Stefan was puppy love compared to this. It was too much. She quickly walked away into the rain on the back lawn. Damon came after her.

"Don't."

"Why not?" Those words haunted her. Why the hell not? What was stopping her? Why should what her friends or ex-boyfriend think about Damon stop her? Why shouldn't she just go after what she wanted, what would make her happy. "Elena…"

"Stefan thinks that I have feelings for you."

"Do you?" Damon asked, surprised by Elena's confession.

"I…" _Just say it. Say it!_

"Hm. I guess you thought this little trip could help you figure that out, didn't you? Or maybe you were hoping I'd screw it up, so I could just make the decision for you, am I wrong?"

"Damon…"

"Am I wrong!"

"It's what you do, Damon. You sabotage things, you…I mean, think about it, every time there's a bump in the road, you lash out."

"What if I didn't? What if there was no bump?" Damon walked closer to Elena, his chest against her back, his hands on her hips. Elena closed her eyes at the smell of him, the sensation of rain droplets trailing down their bodies. She couldn't keep fooling herself anymore. She'd made her choice long ago; she just hadn't realized it until now. She turned around and grabbed the back of his head before kissing him passionately.

From the upstairs window, Emma had pulled the drapes back to take a look at the couple. She smiled before dropping the fabric and letting them pull back.

"They're just like we were when we were young. The resemblance is uncanny, Dominic." Emma turned around to look at her vampire husband, lying on the bed, comatose and hooked up to several machines. "I promise you I'll get my vengeance on the Originals for what was done to you." Emma laid on the bed next to her husband, her head lying on his chest. As she fell asleep, a lone tear traveled down her cheek.

Outside, Elena's moans of pleasure were driving Damon crazy. She was all he'd ever wanted and the mere thought of separating from her…he wouldn't survive it. He needed her like he needed blood. With vampire speed, he backed her into one of the columns of the porch. A shaky breath left Elena as his lips trailed down to her neck and collarbone. He stopped. He had to know she wanted this. He had to know she wanted him. He looked in her eyes and saw not one ounce of hesitation, only desire, lust…and love.

"I love you," she whispered. Damon rested his forehead against hers, sighing at hearing the thing he had wanted in so long.

"I love you." And then his lips and hands were everywhere. Consumed by voracious desire clawing its way through every pore in their body, they moved back into the house and collided into one of the walls in the library. Frantically, they pulled at each other's clothes and Elena pressed Damon into the bookcase, knocking a few books off the shelves as she ripped his shirt off him. Damon moaned in pleasure as she kissed down his chest to the edge of his jeans, undoing the belt and zipper in the process. Before he totally lost his mind, Damon pulled her up and kissed her before pulling her damp shirt off. They then tumbled to the floor by the fireplace in a tangle of limbs and wet flesh. Elena straddled him and rocked against his steel-hard length as his hands moved down her bra-clad breasts to her ass. He pushed her against him, increasing the friction.

"Oh, Damon. Touch me," Elena gasped.

"Here?" Damon asked as he pushed one of her bra straps down. The corresponding breast revealed itself, perky and ready to be consumed. Damon's hand carded into her hair as he latched onto the bud, licking and teasing. Elena moaned in pleasure, rocking unashamedly on his length. "Or here." Elena moaned when he brushed his hand against her core.

"Damon!"

"Show me," Damon whispered, drunk on her moans, as he kissed her neck. Elena unbuttoned her jeans and took his hand and shoved it inside her panties onto her core. Her hands rested on his shoulders, helping her continue her rocking, as he rubbed his fingers against her folds and clit. Elena cried out in pleasure as he rubbed the nub.

"Damon, I need more." She pushed him onto his back and rose up to take off her boots, jeans, and panties. Damon took the opportunity to remove his jeans and before she could join him back on the floor, he pulled her on top of him, her back to his chest, her ass to his groin.

"I'm going to show you just what you've been missing." Elena shivered as his hands lightly grazed across her heated flesh. He kissed and nipped at the flesh of her upper back and shoulders, pulling down the rest of her bra. Elena moaned as his hips thrusted up into her, the tip of his cock brushing against her. Further ramping up the pleasure, one of his hands crawled down her stomach to her core. Elena screamed in pleasure as one of his fingers drove into her wet heat and his other hand fondled her breast.

"Damon. Fuck." She squirmed on top of him, bucking on his hand. The pleasure was indescribable for both of them. His finger then left her core and Elena laid down on the floor, parting her legs. Damon's eyes glazed over with lust and he kissed up her femoral artery to her pulsing heat. Surprising Elena with the sudden movement, Damon pulled her legs around his shoulders and immersed his tongue in her heat, sucking and biting at her clit. Elena screamed in pleasure as she bucked against his face, pressing his face closer to her with her hands. Two fingers pierced her channel and with three more thrusts Elena's orgasm shot through her like an electric shock. Damon groaned as he lapped up her warm juices. Damon then kissed his way back up to Elena's lips, ripping her bra off in the journey. With a burst of strength, Elena pushed Damon onto his back and straddled him.

"Yes," Damon groaned as she pushed down onto his length.

"Oh, God, Damon," Elena cried as they thrusted into each other. "More, I need more."

"Lay on your stomach." She rose from on top of him and crawled onto the floor. Damon moved the hair off her back and kissed down her spine. He lifted one of her legs up around his hip and thrusted into her slick heat from behind. The new position was just what Elena needed as he hit her wall. Her moans turned into screams as he pounded into her relentlessly. Her walls convulsed around him. "Fuck, Elena." They both screamed each other's name as her walls convulsed around his length and his seed shot inside her, coating her wet walls. In a heap of sweaty limbs, they collapsed.

"Please tell me that was the best you've ever had," Elena gasped.

"It was out of this world," Damon smiled before pulling out of her. As his hand drew circles on her back, he kissed her shoulder. Elena craned her head back and he kissed her languidly. "I love you, more than anything."

"I love you too. You're my choice. Forever." There were a hundred other things Elena wanted to say. Damon could see that. He drew a blanket from the couch over them as Elena settled into his chest. He rubbed his nose against hers.

"Sleep. We'll talk more in the morning." He kissed her forehead and they fell into a blissful rest.


	2. Evil Things

As dawn breached through the darkness surrounding Vancouver, Emma was woken from her sleep by the ringing of her cell phone. She looked at the caller ID and was surprised to see Stefan's name. He never called her.

"Emma Cohen, 'who's my vampire sire' central. How may I help you?" she asked snappily.

"Ha-ha. Very funny. Where's Damon?"

"Asleep."

"Well, wake him up. He's not answering his phone." Emma used her vampire hearing to eavesdrop on Damon and Elena kissing.

"Why don't you just tell me why you called and I'll give him the message?"

"Um…"

"Stefan, I assure you we are both on the same side. I know how to fix your little Original problem. Now what's the latest kink in Plan Save Elena?"

"Esther did some crazy spell on Alaric."

"What kind of spell?"

"She used up her life force to change him into an Original vampire and with his alter ego he wants all the Originals dead. He's coming for Elena. Esther tied her life to his so he only has a limited amount of time to kill the Originals. Klaus is on his way and I'm sure his siblings are on their way to join him."

"Which one left first?"

"Alaric."

"Well then, I highly suggest you get all your asses to Vancouver then. I could use some back-up."

"What are you plan…"

"Goodbye, Stefan," Emma hung up. She then dialed another number. "Activate all the cells within a one hundred mile radius of the city. I need a show of force in case things go awry. Rendezvous at Queen Elizabeth Park." Emma then dressed for the day, let a nurse in from the back door to tend to her husband, and cautiously walked into the library, a hand over her eyes.

"Is everyone decent?" Emma asked over the giggling.

"We're good, Em," Damon chuckled.

"I just received a call from your brother."

"Ah. What'd that buzz kill want?"

"Slight change in plans. Instead of us going to the Originals, we're going to bring them to us. And there's been a slight problem with your friend, Alaric. Find some clothes and I'll explain everything in the kitchen." Emma walked into her gourmet kitchen and began to pour three cups of coffee. In the one set aside for Elena, Emma looked to make sure no one was coming. She opened a cabinet and inside was a safe. After unlocking it, she opened the door, revealing several vials of blood. One of the vials was labeled Damon. She poured the blood into the mug after closing the safe and cabinet and discarded the vial just as Damon and Elena walked in. "Coffee?" Emma watched as Elena took the cup and took a sip.

"It's a little bitter," said Elena.

"Ah, yes. It's this Canadian coffee. It has a bit of a bite. Sorry. I should have warned you."

"I like it. I just wasn't expecting it."

"What's going on?" Damon asked as he drank his coffee.

"Alaric is dead." The news shocked the two. "Dead in the sense of being undead."

"What?" Elena asked.

"Esther, being the bitch of a witch that she is, turned him into an Original vampire who hungers to destroy all Originals. He has limited time to complete his mission because his life is tied to yours so if you die, he dies. Somehow she got a hold of your blood and linked you to him. I can fix it, but the plan has changed. Alaric is the priority now. Your life cannot be tied to his. I have to break the link, cleansing him can come later."

"What's your plan?" Damon asked.

"You won't like it." Damon quirked a brow. "I want to use Elena as bait."

"No!"

"Damon, you haven't even heard my plan."

"I'll do it," said Elena.

"No! No, no, no, no. Did I mention NO!" Damon yelled.

"Now that the status quo has changed, Klaus is going to be very cautious, but the thing he thirsts for more than anything is doppelganger blood to fuel his army. I need leverage to draw Klaus out. I can do that with Elena. No harm will come to her. Not on my watch."

"And what about Ric? What do we do if he suddenly decides to come to the party?"

"Oh, I'm counting on that."

"Damon, it'll be okay," said Elena, taking his hand.

"I just got you. I can't lose you."

"You won't." She kissed him. "I promise."

"It's settled then." Emma pulled her phone out and dialed Klaus.

"I'm a little busy at the moment, love, to discuss the newest edition to your library," Klaus answered.

"Busy enough to ignore me when I have my hands on your precious doppelganger?" Klaus paused. "A speechless Klaus? It seems I've hit a nerve."

"What have you done?"

"She's alive…for now. I also have possession of Damon's mind. He's my little minion now. So obedient…and ruthless."

"What do you want?"

"I want a meeting. Queen Elizabeth Park. One hour. Be there or I slit her throat and flush all her blood down the drain." She hung up. "Let's go. We have much to prepare for."

Right before the meet, Emma was driving to the park with Damon and Elena.

"Klaus has to know I have complete control over you so, Damon, make it convincing. You too, Elena." Elena took a deep breath as they reached the park and Emma left to give them a moment.

"You don't have to do this," said Damon.

"Yes. I do. For it to end, for us to finally have some peace in our lives, I have to do this."

"For this to work, I'll have to be a little rough, like I was before I found out Katherine was a lying bitch."

"I know."

"I love you."

"I love you too." A few minutes later, Klaus was in the middle of the park, waiting for Emma nervously. Emma arrived with Damon tugging Elena toward Klaus.

"You're late," Klaus hissed.

"I wouldn't be so antagonistic toward me if I were you. I'm in a foul mood, dear Niklaus," Emma replied.

"Would you quit fidgeting? It's annoying," Damon grumbled to Elena.

"Wow. You really did take control of his mind. Like a little puppet."

"Don't look so amused. I could easily do the same thing to you," Emma smirked.

"What do you want in exchange for the girl?"

"Kol. Where is he?"

"On his way. What do you want with him?"

"I want to drain him of all his blood, make him eat his own kidney, and then feed his blood to my comatose husband."

"Ah, still sore about that curse Kol had Ayana put on Dominic, huh? I can arrange for Kol to be given to you, but give me Elena first." Damon looked at Emma, nervous. Was she really planning to betray them or was this all an act? He saw the hatred, the coldness in her eyes. Would his best friend betray him or would she save his girlfriend's life? Emma cocked her head as if she was considering the deal.

"Hmm. You're lying. I can sense it."

"Emma," Klaus growled.

"Alpha. Beta. Gamma." At the whispering of those words, shots rang out and wooden bullets pierced Klaus' chest.

"You bitch! What are you doing?"

"What I should have done years ago, darling. A vita exahi! Isespotro adimasero!" Black wispy smoke curled around Emma's hand and she thrust it into his chest, grabbing his heart.

"No!" Klaus groaned as he began to dessicate.

"Nighty-nighty, Nik." Klaus fell to the floor as the desiccation took hold. "And now for the finishing touch." She stabbed him with the dagger. She whistled and two vampires appeared at her side. "Take him to the Vault." The two vampires then dragged Klaus away. Emma turned when she heard clapping.

"I have to admit that was quite the show," said Alaric, emerging from behind the tree.

"You must be Alaric Saltzman."

"You killed my prey."

"Not quite."

"You're very efficient. With your brains and my new weapon…" he showed her the white oak stake. "Care for a partnership?"

"I think not." Emma rose her hand and Alaric fell to the ground accosted by aneurysms. "Somnus liberabit eum somnia hebetes sensus apta et evigilans vidi quiescat usque." Alaric then fell into a comatose state. "There. I'm put him to sleep. Damon, take him to the house."

"Was all that stuff about Dominic true?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Not now. Go," Emma ordered as Stefan, Jeremy, Matt, Tyler, Bonnie, and Caroline arrived at the scene.

"You took down Klaus," said Stefan.

"Yes, I did. I smell someone human among this group."

"That would be me," said Matt. She threw him her car keys.

"Take Elena to my home. The address is in the GPS. Go."

"How can we help?" Caroline asked as Matt and Elena walked away.

"You don't. Just stand and look pretty while I put the rest of the Originals into an eternal slumber."

A few minutes later, Emma was walking around the park when Elijah emerged from the forest.

"Hello, Emma," he greeted.

"Hello, Elijah. Lovely to see you."

"You've taken my brother."

"I have."

"And the white oak stake?"

"It's in my possession now. I stole it from that hunter."

"How about I propose you a deal? I will relieve you of your station if you give me the stake. Once the weapon is in my possession, my family will scatter to the ends of the Earth and Alaric will follow us."

"And you'll just run for the rest of your life? I find that hard to believe."

"You're protecting Elena. You identify with her and I admire you for it. We've run before. Klaus and Rebekah spent the better part of a thousand years evading my father. What's another half century while Elena is able to live out the rest of her natural life?"

"I've finally stopped his reign of terror, Elijah. After everything that he's done, I can't just let you bring him back."

"I give you my word, Emma. I will not revive Klaus within Elena's nor even within her children's lifetimes. Perhaps that will finally teach him some manners."

"And why should I trust you? All you've done is screw me over."

"And for that, I am deeply ashamed. But know this, you could have been dead the instant I saw you so I leave it to you to make the decision whether to trust me or not."

"What about your siblings?"

"Rebekah and Kol will honor the terms. If you return Klaus' body to us, Elena will come to no harm. Do we have a deal?"

"Why do you want Klaus' body?" Emma asked, walking closer to the clean cut man.

"He's my brother. We remain together."

"And that is your truest desire? To remain together?"

"Yes."

"I will grant you your wish then." Emma then stabbed him with the dagger. "Join your brother in eternal slumber." Elijah then fell to the ground, asleep. "Come out, Kol! I could smell you from a mile away."

"You always did have a good sense of smell, my Emma." With a swift movement, Emma shot Kol with a gun she drew from her coat pocket. He grimaced in pain at the wood bullet.

"You will pay for what you've taken from me."

"Still holding that grudge, huh?"

"You ripped my heart out when you stole Dominic from me. Why shouldn't I rip out yours?" she grit out, her voice breaking.

"You kill me and you die."

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you, Kol. I'm going to make you suffer. Kneel." Kol still remained standing and Emma shot him in the leg. "You see, the one thing I didn't tell Damon or Elena was that these daggers unleash a terrible torment among the soul they impale. They render the victim into an eternal sleep and they're haunted in their dreams by their most wicked sins. This one I hold right here I specially made just for you. All you'll see is how you broke my heart and cursed Dominic, your best friend."

"My blood won't revive him. I lied."

"I know, but making you suffer. I believe that will put my lost lover's soul at peace."

"Don't do it. Emma. We could start over." Emma then thrust the dagger into him.

"The time for that has long passed. Rot in hell, Kol Mikaelson." More of Emma's vampire friends arrived at the scene.

"We'll take them to the Vault." Emma nodded.

Meanwhile, Stefan was heading toward Emma's house when he received a call.

"Hello?" he answered.

"You're still alive."

"Rebekah."

"Elijah spoke with Emma. He says we have to run, that the hunter will keep coming after us, but I don't want to run anymore, Stefan. I spent my whole life running."

"What are you talking about? We had a deal."

"I'm sorry, but there is no deal. If I am to survive, I need to get rid of Alaric and the only way to get rid of Alaric."

"Rebekah, no." Rebekah hung up and stood in the middle of a bridge. Matt, driving Emma's car, swerved to avoid her and sent the vehicle flying over the guardrail into the ocean. As the car began to sink, Rebekah turned to walk away, but Emma stabbed her with the dagger.

"Emma."

"Goodbye, Bex." Stefan then flashed onto the bridge. "Save her! They're in the water!" Stefan jumped into the water. Elena, still conscious in the water, desperately tried to wake Matt up. Stefan ripped Matt's door off and swam over him toward Elena. She shook her hand and pointed to him to get Matt, not her. They stared at each other for a moment. He struggled with the fact that he couldn't save Matt and come back quickly enough to save Elena, but he abided by Elena's wishes, grabbed Matt, and swam back to the surface.

"EMMA!" Emma jumped over the railing into the water to save Elena while Stefan swum Matt to shore. Stefan waited for an excruciatingly long moment before Emma breached the water with Elena.

"Is she…" Stefan began as Emma left the water.

"She's dead, but she'll be okay, Stefan. I've already made sure of it."

A few minutes later, they arrived at the house. Matt had regained consciousness and Emma walked into her front door, carrying Elena. Damon was pacing the hall.

"Where is she?" Damon asked Stefan who had come in first. He then saw Elena in Emma's arms.

"No, no. No. Emma!"

"Shut up!" Emma barked. "Be quiet and listen to what I have to say. Follow me. All of you." The Mystic Falls gang then followed Emma into one of her bedrooms where she laid Elena on the bed.

"You knew this would happen," said Damon.

"Yes, I did, but I had an insurance policy."

"What did you do?" Damon asked.

"You know as well as I that I keep vials of vampire blood from those vampires I've encountered. It's part of the record keeping process."

"You didn't," Stefan murmured.

"I gave her your blood, Damon. Slipped it in her coffee this morning. She will wake in transition. You may stay with her if you like. I need to tend to your friend."

"Elena died," said Caroline. "That means Ric's dead. You screwed up!"

"I'm a Cohen. We don't make mistakes. When I put Ric to sleep, I also cast a protection spell on him which temporarily negates the power of the blood tie. Ric's alive, but there is still work to be done." Emma left the room and walked downstairs where Alaric was lying on the couch. "You have a lot of people who care about you, Mr. Saltzman. Let's see if we can put you back together."

"What are you doing?" Bonnie asked, coming into the room.

"First, I'm breaking the blood tie. Would you like to watch?"

"Is it spirit magic?"

"Yes. You're a practitioner?"

"Yeah."

"Well, then you can learn a thing or too. To break a blood tie, you have to overwhelm the binding magic. You charge your own blood with magic. It's a simple spell. Verasci comies nosferatu." Emma then bit her wrist and fed Alaric her blood. His body pulsed. "There. The blood tie has evaporated. Now I'm going to mend the damage Esther caused."

"Not even I could do that."

"Cleansing spells though simple in nature require a great deal of power and experience to pull off successfully. Watch." Emma placed her hands beside Alaric's head. Her eyes then glowed black as she entered a trance. "Quod spiritus mali, inimica naturae, manifest accusation hospites, et vade! Recede a nobis hoc loco discedere circulum deus qui deae ut. Vade, et mittere in tenebras exterioes. Vade, et demergatur in profundum aquosum. Vade et in flamma ignis. Vade et divellere a turbine. Matris cornigerum vi nos eiciant vos!" Emma's eyes flashed back and she panted. "It is done. She did quite the number on him. I haven't been this winded in years."

"So he's regular Alaric now?"

"Yes. Wake." Alaric then roused from his sleep. "Hello, handsome."

"Am I in heaven?" Emma giggled.

"You wish. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting. I'm Emma Cohen, a friend of Damon's. I just saved your life."

"The other me?"

"He's gone. I banished him."

"I'm really thirsty. Am I a…"

"Vampire? Why yes." Alaric paled. "Don't worry. I'll teach you how to survive."

"Where's Damon?"

"He has a new vampire to handle as well I'm afraid, Alaric. Elena." Alaric sighed.

"Call me Ric." He offered her his hand.

"Very well. You may call me Emma."

Later that night, Emma was by Dominic's bedside, watching as the heart monitor slowly beeped.

"How's Elena?" Emma asked, sensing Damon in the doorway.

"She woke up for a few minutes and then fell back asleep."

"Hmm."

"You should have told me."

"Perhaps."

"She never wanted to be a vampire when she was with Stefan."

"But now she's with you," Emma whispered, not wanting Stefan to overhear the. "Love makes us do things that aren't in our nature. I think the same may be true for Elena."

"What did Kol do?"

"He was upset that I picked Dom over him. He asked a witch to curse Dominic. He will never wake up. Ever."

"There's got to be some way to break it."

"There isn't. Kol told me it was his blood, but that was a lie. I've tried everything. Given him my blood, tried every spell I could find, every medical solution, but nothing has changed. My love may be here physically, but his spirit has long left this body and passed on, made peace. I conducted a séance last week and I spoke with him. He's at peace and I'm here, stuck in this immortal body."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was none of your business. This is my pain, my suffering, my hell."

"Then maybe it's time to let the pain go." Emma stroked Dominic's face, crying.

"Yeah, I think it's time because I can't keep doing this. I can't keep feeling empty inside. I can't keep feeling this hole in my chest that doesn't heal every time I look at him." Damon hugged her and she cried. "I don't know what to do anymore."

"Shh. When I was in my darkest hour, you came to me. You gifted me with your wisdom and I shall do the same for you. Don't stop moving forward." Emma laughed at the irony.

"Go. Be with Elena. That's my gift to you. Be with the woman you love."

"We're going back to Mystic Falls. I want her to wake up in familiar surroundings. Alaric said you were going to teach him. Are you sure you're up for that? It's been a long time since you took on a newbie."

"This place. It's become a perpetual reminder of everything in my life that I hate, a symbol of my suffering. I can't be here anymore. I don't want the isolation anymore, Damon. I want to feel again."

"Come with us. Burn your past to the ground and move forward." Emma nodded.

"Thank you. You always know what to say."

"Why don't you say goodbye and meet us outside? We're about ready to go."

"Okay." Damon left the room, closing the door.

"It's time, my love. I think I've always known it would end like this. I would join you, but I'd be stuck on the Other Side, unable to see your beautiful smile. And…I think I want to live again before giving up on this plane of existence. But one day…one day I'll join you. Until then I hope you can forgive me," said Emma as she stroked Dominic's face. "There are secrets in this house that are too important to be kept lying around. I'm going to burn it all. I have to move forward and that means letting you go. I'm sorry. I will always love you." Emma then kissed Dominic and left the room. After packing her things, Emma then walked down into a detached basement near the house where two vampires were standing outside a large circular door.

"You understand your coven's mission?" Emma asked.

"Two vampires are to guard this Vault at all times and never release the Originals."

"Good. From now on, you will not enter this chamber through my home. Enter through the back entrance in the forest."

"Yes, ma'am. May I ask what you are going to do with the house?"

"I'm going to let it burn. All of it. Give me a moment. You may return after the flames have died down."

"Yes, ma'am." The two vampires then left. Emma entered the vault. Rebekah, Kol, Klaus, and Elijah's comatose forms laid chained to rock slabs. "It's finally over. I thought this moment would feel different, that my anger would boil over, but all I feel is sadness, over why things weren't different. I suppose it was fate. May you all rest and be eternally haunted by your sins." Emma then left the vault and raised a hand. The door closed and a series of locks engaged. Emma walked outside avoiding the trails of gas leading to the house. She grabbed her suitcase and walked down the end of the driveway where everyone was waiting. As Emma reached the halfway point of the road, she pulled out a trigger from her coat pocket and activated an explosion. The house, except for the stone basement, exploded into a column of fiery flame. Everyone was taken aback save for Emma whose figure was illuminated by the blaze.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Stefan asked.

"The Originals are dead yet the sins of that house still haunt me. I'm letting go of the past, Stefan. I'm moving forward. Now why don't you all tell me about this Mystic Falls? We have a long plane ride and I'd like to be brought up to speed before Elena wakes."


	3. Torture

"Damnit." The moment Emma heard the curse word she woke from her deep sleep and sat up in Alaric's bed at his apartment. It had been late when they'd arrived in Mystic Falls and they were all beat. Damon had taken Elena to her house and Emma had decided to crash with her new student at his place. She looked around the small one bedroom and saw the man hiding in the shadows of a corner of the room, his burnt skin healing. Emma crawled out of the bed and into the kitchen. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. No daylight ring and I keep forgetting about the sun."

"It's okay," said Emma as she shook her head. "It's about time I got up anyway. I have a gift for you." Emma pulled a chain out from underneath her nightshirt and revealed a daylight ring. She unclasped the chain and removed the ring.

"A daylight ring."

"Yes." She handed it to him and he put it on before cautiously moving his hand into the streams of sunlight from the window. He didn't burn.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. That ring…it was my husband's so I trust you will take good care of it."

"I can always ask Bonnie…"

"Ric, it's fine."

"I promise I won't lose your husband's ring."

"It's not Dominic's anymore. It's yours. Treat it well."

"Of course." Emma then took a look around at Alaric's apartment. She noticed a totem pole near the bed.

"Let me guess. Kwakiutl?"

"You know your Native Americans."

"In my position as secret keeper for the Originals, I also had to keep up to date with human culture. I always found the Native Americans to be the most interesting of human ethnic groups."

"I know my place is a little small so if you want to stay with the Salvatores..."

"No. I don't want to bother them. Besides, I like your place. It has a certain charm to it."

"I can get another bed brought in then if that would make you more comfortable."

"This may sound strange, but I have slept alone for over five hundred years. It's nice to enjoy the company of someone who isn't comatose. We're adults. The bed is fine. Now what were you trying to get this morning?"

"Um, Damon brought some blood and I'm really thirsty."

"All right. Your first lesson." Emma walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag. "Control. I want you to drink half and only half of the bag. We're going to share it. Do you understand?" Alaric nodded and took the bag. He was about to rip it open. "Gently. We're not animals. You have manners. Use them." Alaric pulled open the tube and began to drink. "Good. Very good." Halfway through the bag, Alaric pushed the bag into Emma's hands. "Thank you." Emma then began to drink. Alaric watched her as she finished off the bag.

"Will it always be this hard?"

"No. With time, it will become easier. You'll learn to predict when you're about to have a craving and satisfy yourself before it hits you."

"Is that what you taught Damon?"

"Yes. He'll teach Elena the same thing."

"How can you be so sure she'll complete the transition?"

"She will. She just needs time to adjust. We're going to start with blood bags until I'm satisfied with your progress. After that, we'll move to live humans."

"Do I have to?"

"You can't survive on blood bags alone. What if none are available and if you don't learn how to interact with humans and deal with the cravings, you'll become noticeable. It'll put a target on your back." Alaric nodded. "I'm going to take a shower and then get dressed."

"Okay. After that we can go to Elena's."

"Sure."

Meanwhile, Elena gasped for air as she woke up to the sound of crickets chirping and sirens blaring throughout the streets. When she opened her eyes, she saw Stefan sitting on the end of her bed, watching her.

"Stefan?" Elena asked, confused.

"Hey. You've been in and out for hours."

"Wh-what happened?"

"You were in an accident."

"Oh my God. Matt is he…?"

"Alive?" Damon interrupted, leaning against the doorjamb of his room. "Ask Stefan. The hero."

"He's fine," Stefan replied.

"Thank you. I thought that I – how did you…?"

"Save you?" Damon asked. "He didn't." Damon's blood boiled at the fact Stefan had saved Matt over Elena.

"Yesterday, before we met you at the park, Emma slipped a vial of Damon's blood into your coffee."

"And when Rebekah ran the car off the road, you had my blood in your system, Lena," Damon finished.

"Oh my God," said Elena, panicking. "Does - does that mean that I – am I dead?" Silence. "No, no, no, no! That wasn't supposed to happen!"

"The only thing that's going to help is for you to feed on human blood and complete the transition. There is no way out of it," said Damon, glaring at his brother every so often. "We all know the drill. You feed or you die. There is no door number three."

"I don't – I don't want to be – I can't be a vampire!" Elena cried.

"Stefan, can you give us a moment?" Stefan nodded and left, realizing that Damon would be able to reach Elena in ways he couldn't, not after everything he'd done to her.

"I don't want to be a vampire, Damon," Elena cried.

"I know," said Damon, placing his hand on his girlfriend's cheek. "I would have saved you. In a heartbeat, no question."

"And then Matt would be dead, because you couldn't let go. And I knew that. Matt would be dead, Damon. For me, someone else would be dead."

"But you wouldn't be! And you would have gotten to grow up and had the life that you wanted, the life that you deserve. And I know that I didn't used to get that but I do now and I wanted that for you, Elena, and I would have gladly given it to you and let Matt die because I am that selfish."

"Damon."

"I love you, whether you're a human or a vampire. You know that right?" Elena nodded. "So I have this blood bag. I'm not going to force you, but I want you to turn because I love you. I want you. I need you."

"Damon, I don't think I can do this."

"Hey, yes you can. You are the strongest person I've ever met. You're the woman I fell in love with, the woman who wants to protect what little family she has left, the woman who made me see my humanity, the woman who's faced so many horrors and somehow managed to come out of it still intact, the woman who brought my brother and I closer together and made me want to be better…for you. I can't lose you. You're all I have left."

"I don't want to be Katherine."

"You are nothing like Katherine. I will help you. I will do whatever it takes to get you through this. Just don't leave me."

Elena nodded her head, whimpering, and fell into his arms. The floodgates were opened and every emotion she felt gushed out. After calming down, she took the blood bag and began to drink. She grimaced as her fangs emerged.

"It's okay," Damon consoled. "It's normal."

"I'm so tired."

"It's going to take a little while for your body to adjust to the changes. Why don't you rest and I'll come check on you later?" He kissed her forehead and then left the room. He walked down the stairs and grabbed a bottle of bourbon from the kitchen. Stefan was sitting on the couch. Damon poured himself a hearty glass of bourbon and drank it all in one gulp.

"That was a nice speech," Stefan said, breaking the silence. "I take it she chose you." Stefan tried to hide his jealousy, but wasn't very successful.

"Shut up, Stefan," Damon growled.

"I know you're mad at me."

"That's an understatement. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously!"

"What was I supposed to do? She wanted me to save Matt. I saved Matt! You weren't there the day Elena looked me in the eye and told me she absolutely never wanted this."

"Then you shouldn't have let her die."

"I never meant for her to die. She asked me to save Matt and I did."

"And now the world has one more quarterback. Bravo, brother." Damon poured himself another drink.

"I made a choice that I will regret for the rest of my life." Damon shook his head and walked onto the back porch. He couldn't even look at his brother without the urge of ripping his head off boiling in his blood.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Elena was in bed, breathing heavily. She grimaced as her hearing intensified. She heard electricity running through a light bulb and looked at the lamp on the bedside table. The door creaked open and Jeremy entered the room.

"Jer," Elena muttered. The younger boy hugged her.

"Are you okay? I watched Vicki go through this. She was a mess. Her emotions were all over the place. All these old memories came flooding back."

"I'm fine. I'm not Vicki."

"No, you're not. You're you. You act like everything's okay so no one worries about you but you need help."

"I said I'm fine, okay?" Elena snapped as she continued to hear the electricity. "I'm sorry. I just need some rest." Jeremy nodded and left. Almost growling, Elena pulled the lampshade of the lamp and crushed the bulb in her hand. Elena turned and saw Damon sitting on the window seat. "Where did you…"

"Cute PJs." Elena looked down to see she wasn't wearing pajamas. She then heard herself speaking from the bathroom and looked over at herself.

"I'm tired, Damon." Damon got up and walked over to the memory version of Elena and held up her old necklace.

"I brought you this."

"I thought that was gone. Thank you." Elena continued to watch the memory unfold.

"I just have to say something."

"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?"

"Because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life."

"Damon, don't go there."

"No, I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it. I love you, Elena. And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you, why you can't know this. I don't deserve you, but my brother does." Damon kissed Elena's forehead. "God, I wish you didn't have to forget this, but you do." The memory then ended. Elena then sighed, falling a little bit more in love with Damon if that was even possible. Elena walked downstairs when she heard a large commotion. She saw Damon's body on the floor, his neck snapped.

"Stefan?"

"Elena, don't move." Elena then saw Stefan surrounded by officers and Pastor Young. They all had their guns pointed at Stefan.

Later Alaric and Emma arrived at the house and noticed something was awry. As Alaric entered the house, Emma was stopped at the doorway.

"Damnit. Stupid invitation," she growled.

"They're gone. All three of them." Sheriff Forbes then walked up to the house. "Liz, please tell me you have something. Anything."

"I can't. The Council locked Carol and me out of our offices. Files, computers, everything. They've taken Damon, Stefan, and Elena."

"So let me get this straight. The Mayor and the Sheriff never contemplated a backup plan?" Emma asked.

"Who are you?"

"Emma. Damon's best friend. Charmed. I want to know where they are. Now!"

"Emma, relax," said Alaric. "When Caroline called to say she got away, did she know where they were planning to take her?"

"No. Just that she was in some van in the middle of nowhere and she managed to escape."

"Perfect. We've narrowed it down to nowhere," Emma growled.

"With the Salvatores' vervain and Alaric's weapons, they could be anywhere."

"Alright, think. It takes a lot to hold a vampire. Reinforced steel, iron doors."

"Pastor Young has a cattle ranch. Those pens could easily be modified. It's remote, secluded."

"Ric, let's go. Your first drink of live humans is going to come a lot sooner than I anticipated."

"Hey, what are you going to do?" Liz asked.

"I'm going to do what I'm known for besides my record keeping skills. Vampire extractions. Time to bust some heads."

A few minutes later, Emma and Alaric approached the pastor's farm in the SUV after picking up Matt.

"So what? We just storm the place with zero weapons?" Alaric asked.

"Who ever said anything about no weapons? You forget, Ric. We're vampires. We're living weapons." Veins trailed down her face. "Watch the master at work. Don't get out of the car until I tell you to. Come on, Matt." Emma left the car, grabbing the human.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up. The bait never talks." Emma bit Matt and he fell to the ground, groaning in pain. "Yoo-hoo! Anybody home? Big, bad vampire out here." The Pastor stood in his doorway.

"Let him go. The boy's innocent."

"Well, that's the point. Give me my friends and he's all yours. Come on, Pastor. You know I'll kill him."

"Go away! You are not invited in and I'm not coming out!" Suddenly, Emma was shot in the chest and fell to the ground. Two officers came around the corner with their guns out, approaching Emma's body. One of the officers gently nudged Emma with his foot. She didn't move. Surprising them, Emma got up and grabbed the guns out of the officer's hands. She killed both of them by snapping the neck of one of them and stabbing the other with his own gun. Emma grabbed the gun and pointed it at the pastor. He ran into his house, shutting the door and Emma shot it, blowing it to pieces.

"I can do this all day, honey. Ric!" Alaric left the car, taking in Emma's badassery. "I can smell Damon on these two. They came from the barn. Go get our friends." Alaric grabbed the remaining officer's weapon and left as Emma watched the house. In the barn, two officers fell to the ground, knocked out by the butt of a gun.

"Who's there?" Damon groaned. He then saw Alaric. "Ric?"

"Hey, buddy." He cocked the shotgun and blew the locks off Stefan, Elena, Caroline, and Damon's cages. As they walked toward the front of the house, they saw Emma shoot at the pastor's window.

"You've lost this round. Why don't you just come out and give up before I blow your head off?"

"Rot in hell, monster." Emma shot another window.

"Your mother must have never taught you manners. Chivalry is truly dead."

"Emma, let's go," said Damon.

"You ruin all my fun. Hey, Pastor! Don't try anything stupid like this again. If I have to come out here again, I won't be coming here with a shotgun. I'll just blow you straight to hell."

"I told you. Crazy," Stefan whispered to Elena.

"Get in the car before I put a hole in you," Emma growled as she placed the shotgun against her shoulder. Damon and Alaric chuckled as they entered the SUV.

That evening, Alaric and Emma were enjoying a bottle of bourbon at the top of his apartment building. Music drifted from a speaker near the stairwell.

"I never realized Damon could see things so much better," said Alaric, looking at the stars.

"Though vampirism comes with some faults, I believe they're outweighed by the perks. Well, who thought my first day in Mystic Falls would be met by secret agendas and bullets."

"Doesn't have to end that way," Ric replied. She looked at him curiously and he offered her his hand. She accepted and he twirled into a circle before pulling her back to his chest.

"Hmm. It seems Mister History Teacher has some moves all his own," Emma giggled.

"I want to thank you for helping me. I know you're doing it as a favor for Damon."

"And how do you know that? Maybe I'm doing it because I like you."

"Do you?" he asked as they swayed to the music.

"Maybe," she replied, playing coy.

"Emma, I don't want to take advantage of a widow."

"Me neither, but I'm venturing down the path of moving forward. What do you say we move forward from our tragic romances together?" Emma's heart thundered in her chest. She couldn't believe how fast things were progressing. When she'd first laid her eyes on Alaric, she'd be lying if her volunteering for teaching duty wasn't due somewhat to the fact that he was very attractive. And Alaric would have been lying if he had said she was anything but smoking hot. Her beautiful features were only accentuated by her caring nature. She'd do anything for her loved ones. Total turn-on. Alaric leaned his head against Emma's ear. She knew he wanted her and he knew she wanted him. It was only a matter of who was going to make the first move.

"You sure?" Alaric asked.

"I know about Jenna and Isobel, Ric."

"I know about Dominic."

"You won't ever be Dominic and I won't ever be Jenna so why don't you say we just have some fun and see where it goes from there? No regrets?"

"No regrets." His lips then melded with hers and at vampire speed they flashed down to his apartment. Alaric slammed her against the wall beside the door, her legs around his waist, as he kissed her. She raked her nails down his shoulder and he growled before picking her up and kicking the door shut.

Meanwhile at the Boarding House, Damon and Elena were lying on the roof, looking at the stars.

"The whole Council knows who we are now. Everything's about to change," said Elena.

"I'm sure Emma is cooking up a revenge plan as we speak. We'll figure out a way to deal with them."

"You don't have to convince me that everything is gonna be okay."

"I know. Wish I could though. Wish I could tell you that you'll never feel pain. But you will." She kissed him.

"I'm gonna get through this. Just like we get through everything, one day at a time. We always survive, remember?" Elena slightly chuckled.

"What is it?"

"I'm happy," Elena smiled. "I'm going to get to live. I'll be a sister and a friend and I'll be with you. Forever." He kissed her.

"I, um, had this made for you a long time ago." He pulled out her new daylight ring.

"Daylight ring?" He placed the ring on her finger.

"It was my mother's."

"Damon."

"Shh. I want you to have it," he smiled. She kissed him and placed her forehead against his. She rested her head on his shoulder and they watched the sun begin to rise. It was a new day. A new beginning.

The following morning, Pastor Young was at his house with the Council. Secretly, he released the gas hose from the back of his stove.

"Folks, by now, you know that the vampires have escaped. And it won't be long before they retaliate against us. But fear not. For I have been chosen to lead us in a movement. Hear me, loved ones. Soon you'll be free to pass through the gates." The pastor pulled a lighter out of his pocket. "And we'll all reunite in eternity. Friends. We are the beginning." He lit the lighter. The Council members screamed with fear and the house blew up.


End file.
